Tips and Tricks

John Lovett shares a few of his studio tips, from brush care to ideal ways to store watercolor paper

- John Lovett

Conducting workshops is a lot of а fun. As well as adding a social side to what is a solitary pursuit, it always amazes me the numerous solutions, tips and ideas that are offered up by many of the participants. In this article we will examine a number of these interesting solutions to sometimes difficult problems.

Tube Lids

A lady attending a workshop had half a dozen paint tube lids of various sizes in her box of watercolors. When I asked her where all the lids came from, she said they were spares. She often lost lids or they would get old and split, forcing her to empty out the contents of the tube onto her palette. Now, before she disposes of an empty tube she washes out the lid and keeps it to replace lost or broken ones.

Brush Care

Brushes eventually wear out, so replacing them as soon as you notice any wear will keep your work clean and crisp. Here are a couple of tips to help your brushes last a little bit longer.

Split Bristles

Occasionally pigment works its way down into the metal ferrule causing the bristles to part. This problem can often be fixed by thoroughly washing the brush with baby soap, rinsing it out, then shaping the bristles before allowing the brush to dry. (Baby soap is acid-free so any residue won't harm your paper use it to wash all your brushes.)

Bent Bristles

This is a problem with smaller brushes—if the wet bristles press against something then dry out they will retain the bent shape. If the brush has synthetic bristles, holding the bristles in the steam of a boiling kettle will straighten them out in a few seconds.

Brush Transport